


Ain't No Rest for the Struggling Teenager

by Vero_nica



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Other, Tony is the Best Dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:15:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26713576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vero_nica/pseuds/Vero_nica
Summary: Peter Parker is best son and intern that Tony could have ever discovered that he had. He's helpful and smart and the greatest support system that Tony could have ever asked for, but lately he's been sneaking around and seeming to do everything possible to avoid Tony at all costs. What's going on?
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25
Collections: The Friendly Neighborhood Exchange





	Ain't No Rest for the Struggling Teenager

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sapphirestark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirestark/gifts).



> Hi so this is probably super bad since I wrote it late at night right after writing an essay for my government class, but I hope you like it anyway. Also, if anyone reads this as St*rker I will steal 67% of your vertebrae. Happy reading <3

Being a teenager was hard. Even harder when said teen was also a superhero and the son of one of the most powerful men in the universe. Seriously. Peter Parker, also known as Peter Stark, Peter Parker-Stark, Spider-Man, Underoos, kid, loser, Penis Parker, etc, was that teenager. His dad was Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, loving father, philanthropist. It was discovered that Peter was Tony’s biological son totally by accident. See, when Peter first started interning for Stark Industries, he had several medical tests done by some of the most prestigious doctors to probably ever exist to make sure he wasn’t some alien imposter or something. However, this led to the doctors discovering that not only was Peter Spider-Man, he was also their boss’s kid. Turns out, Peter’s mom and Tony had a one night stand eons ago, so, yeah. 

Now, Peter was one of the best interns Tony could have ever asked for, as well as the best son. He was super helpful, a literal genius, a huge goofball, and the perfect support system for a man like Stark. Peter had been around Stark Industries for nearly a year now, and when he wasn’t in the lab he was on patrol. Tony couldn’t be prouder of him. Except, there was one thing bothering Tony: lately it seemed as though Peter wanted to be anywhere except around Tony.

He was constantly locked in his room or down in the lab working on who knows what, and whenever Tony tried talking to him he would brush it off and hide out somewhere. It was really concerning to watch. The more he investigated, the worse that concern got. He noticed the bags under his eyes, the unhealthy amount of caffeine, and the most horrifying of all, the slow increase of crime around the city. Peter wasn’t patrolling nearly as much as he usually did, yet patrolling was Peter’s favorite thing about any day. Going out as Spider-Man and helping a lady across the street or catching a little kid’s dog could brighten Peter’s day within a second. It was his calling. What happened? Tony was determined to find out. 

It was just a regular Tuesday and Tony was down in the lab perfecting the next Spider-Man upgrade. This was upgrade project 34, but Peter was only aware of about 13 of them. Probably a good thing, too. If Peter knew then the intervention Tony had planned would probably get turned back on him. 

The billionaire glanced at the clock. It was nearly four o’clock, band practice had to be over by now. Just as this thought crossed his mind, the doors to the lab slid open and FRIDAY announced, “Welcome home Peter.” 

“Thanks Fri,” came the mumbled reply. God he sounded exhausted. 

Tony turned in his seat, the screwdriver sliding out of his hand, just to see Peter shuffling off to his corner of the lab as quickly as a clearly drained teenager could. 

“Hey Pete,” Tony called, causing Peter to freeze in his tracks. “Got a minute?”

“I um, I actually have homework. I want to get it done before patrol.” He didn’t turn around which caused Tony to frown. 

“It’s just a minute. Come sit.” 

Peter sighed and dropped his head before shuffling back over towards Tony and plopping down in the seat across from him. Tony looked over him quickly, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw the dark circles under his kid’s eyes. Peter looked a little too similar to Tony when he was going through his worst days, and that was definitely not a good sign. 

“Yes?” Peter sighed. He wouldn’t look at his father’s eyes, his body language clearly stating he wanted to be anywhere but in that seat. 

“Peter are you okay?” 

The teen jumped a little and glanced at him, his tired eyes a little wider than they were a second ago. 

“Yeah um yeah of course. Why..why are you asking?” 

Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Peter I know what struggling looks like. If those bags under your eyes get any darker you’ll look like you’re back in your emo phase.” 

“Dad I was thirteen-”

“Not the point. Look, you seem like you’re barely sleeping, I hardly see you anymore, and I know you aren’t patrolling. What’s going on?” 

Peter’s jaw clenched and he looked down at his lap. Tony watched him for a minute, and another, and he was about to call this meeting off and let Peter go when the boy let out a shaky sigh. 

“Graduation is coming up.” 

Tony nodded slowly. He knew that. Hell, he had that marked in his calendar the second he found out the date. 

“Yeah...is that the problem?”

“It’s..part of it,” Peter mumbled. Tony pretended not to hear how his voice shook and how whenever there was a pause a sniffle could be heard. 

“It’s just...I have so much work now a-and I have all these tests and assignments and projects and I don’t have time to patrol and my last test I barely passed on and someone found out and told everyone how they got a better grade than me and I feel like I-I’m failing and-”

“Hang on, hang on.” Tony reached over and held Peter’s now shaking shoulders as the younger barely held back the rapiding approaching sobs that threatened to spill over his lips. “Kid, you’re spiraling a bit. I need you to breathe okay?” 

Peter nodded, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his school hoodie and breathing slowly. Tony waited a few moments to allow him some calm down time before continuing. 

“You said a kid shared your grade?” 

Peter nodded again and looked back down. “I got a 79% and I guess they did better than me...a-and now everyone knows that I’m not actually a-as smart as they all thought I was… I-I was being considered for valedictorian but now that’s probably gone...I don’t know what I’m doing anymore dad.” 

Tony’s shattered heart gained a few more cracks as he listened to this kid, his kid. “Oh Peter,” he said softly, gently gathering the small boy into his arms. “You are one of the smartest kids I know. Trust me, I don’t know anyone else who was able to develop his own webbing by himself or be one of the most important members of the Academic Decathlon. 

“I know getting a lower grade is hard. I also know it’s even harder getting compared to other people and having others tell you that they’re better than you. But you listen to me.”

At this Tony looked down and waited until he made eye contact with Peter. “You listen. I don’t care about you being valedictorian. I don’t even care about straight A’s. I know you’re doing your absolute best and I couldn’t be prouder. However, I also know how much valedictorian means to you, so I will support you on that okay? But this barely sleeping and overloading yourself isn’t working. So, I’m going to help you come up with a better plan. We’ll figure out what we can do to balance everything so that you’re sleeping and also getting work done and also making sure you have time to patrol. How does that sound?”

Silent tears were streaming down Peter’s face, and for a second Tony was terrified he did something wrong. All those fears went away the second Peter threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly. 

“Thank you. Thank you, dad. That sounds awesome.” 

Tony chuckled and ruffled his hair gently. “No problem kid. Let’s get to work. FRIDAY, pull up Peter’s school schedule. Pete let’s look at your homework. What do you got?”

“Calculus.” 

“Good God, no wonder you’re practically dying.


End file.
